1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication device provided with a personal information storing device that stores information for a specific individual, which can be input via a telecommunication line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional facsimile terminal equipment is provided with a message box function for storing information for a specific individual in a personal information storing device that is input via a telecommunication line. The personal information storing device can be plural memory areas allocated in a random access memory (RAM) for example. These memory areas are respectively allocated to a different specific individual. Facsimile data or voice data are stored in the corresponding memory area by first specifying the number of a message box in an automatic message recording mode and then sending facsimile or voice via a telephone line from another facsimile terminal or other communication equipment. A specific individual who wants to know the contents of a message addressed to himself/herself can directly operate the facsimile terminal equipment by a predetermined operation, including the input of personal identification numbers, and can retrieve the contents of his/her own message box. The specific individual can also retrieve the contents using another facsimile terminal or other communication equipment, via a telephone line. That is, if data stored in a memory area corresponding to the specific individual's own message box is facsimile data, the data can be printed out on recording paper. If voice data, it can be reproduced from a speaker as voice.
Conventional facsimile terminal equipment are also provided with a one-touch dialing function for automatically calling a telephone number, which a user registers beforehand, by one key operation. This one-touch dialing function is very convenient because a telephone number is automatically called by simply pressing a key corresponding to the desired telephone number that was registered beforehand. The telephone number includes a facsimile number.
Further, conventional facsimile terminal equipment may include a private telephone directory function that displays only telephone numbers or the names of other parties corresponding to the telephone numbers grouped in correspondence with personal information storing devices of plural telephone numbers registered beforehand. The conventional facsimile equipment can then automatically call a telephone number for one of the parties as selected by a user. According to the above private telephone directory function, if a large number of telephone numbers are registered in an abbreviated form, they can be grouped together for every user to whom a message box is allocated. Such a private telephone directory is very convenient for each user to whom a message box is allocated because he/she can utilize it as a telephone directory in which only telephone numbers necessary to himself/herself are registered.
However, because a key for using a message box function, a key for using a touch tone dialing function and a key for using a private telephone directory function are separately provided in the conventional facsimile terminal equipment, there is a problem in that the number of provided keys is increased. If the number of provided keys increases, the facsimile terminal equipment production costs increase because of an increase in the cost of parts and cost of assembling the equipment. An increase in the number of keys also hinders the miniaturization of equipment because of the additional space required for the keys. Further, the additional keys increase the complexity of the equipment, which requires more time for a user to master equipment operations.